Session 6
Joshua 14:1-15
Memory Verse: Joshua 14:8
We called her Grandma Tate. She was a longtime member in the church where I grew up. In my eyes she modeled unswerving loyalty to the Lord, even in her later years. Grandma Tate used her musical talents to express her commitment to God. I still remember well her solo performances of “The Longer I Serve Him.” As she sang those lyrics, her face revealed her sweet fellowship with the Lord.
Grandma Tate went home to the Lord many years ago, but I like to imagine her now in a heavenly choir still faithfully praising God. Like Caleb she demonstrated wholehearted commitment to the Lord and has received her promised reward.
As you prepare to study this session, reflect on your spiritual journey. How would you characterize your spiritual pilgrimage? What changes would strengthen your commitment to the Lord? Ask God to help you and the adults in your Bible study demonstrate unwavering loyalty to Him. And pray for the Lord’s guidance as you seek to follow Him more completely and challenge your group to do the same.
A lot of us are like the little boy who prayed, “God give me patience, and give it to me right now!” The Bible teaches us that we need to learn to trust God’s promises and at the same time trust God’s timing. For instance, thousands of years passed from the time God first promised the coming of the Messiah until Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Yet the Bible says God sent His Son at just the right time (Gal. 4:4). We can depend on God to keep His promises-no matter how long He takes to do so. (PSG, p. 55)
Chapter 13 of Joshua serves as a dividing point in the book. Whereas chapters 1-12 deal with capturing Canaan, chapters 13-24 detail the distribution of Canaan among the twelve tribes. Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River. The remaining tribes (except for the priestly tribe of Levi) were given parcels on land on the west side of the Jordan. Levi received a collection of priestly cities spread out around the nation.
Most of Joshua 14 focuses on Caleb’s inheritance. Caleb was one of twelve spies sent by Moses to scout Canaan. Only he and Joshua brought a positive report that the Israelites could conquer the land with God’s help (Num. 13:30). As a result, God allowed Caleb to enter the promised land and gave him the courage and vigor to capture the stronghold of Hebron at the age of eighty-five (Josh. 14:13-15).
Chapter 15 records the allotment of land to Judah, Caleb’s home tribe (Num. 13:6). Caleb took possession of Hebron by driving out the sons of Anak (Josh. 15:13-14). Chapters 16-17 deal with the land portions given to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s two sons whom Jacob adopted (Gen. 48:5). Half of Manasseh lived in the Transjordan, east of the Jordan River. The remaining Manassites took an inheritance west of the river. Chapters 18-19 document the apportionment of land to Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan.
The Israelites also set up the tent of meeting (or tabernacle) at Shiloh. This act served as a marker for the nation, a confirmation that they now controlled the promised land.
Chapter 20 focuses on six cities of refuge, safe havens for individuals who killed someone accidentally. Three cities of refuge were located west of the Jordan, while three were located east of the river. Fugitives could take asylum from members of the dead person’s family until a trial could determine guilt or innocence. If the city elders found the death was an accident, the suspect was free to remain in the city without fear of harm until the death of the high priest.
The Levites were set aside to serve the Lord. He was their inheritance (Deut. 10:8-9). Still, the tribe was granted forty-eight cities scattered across Israel (Josh. 21:41-42). The location of these cities made the Levites accessible to all the tribes as they taught God’s laws to the people (Deut. 33:8-10).
The final verses of Joshua 21 provide a summary that emphasizes again the book’s major theme. The Lord fought Israel’s battles and fulfilled all His promises to their ancestors. By His power and grace, He gave His people victory over their enemies (Josh. 21:43-45).
Read Joshua 14:1-15. Take note of how Caleb’s faithfulness to God had an impact on others. (PSG,
p. 56)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
1 The Israelites received these portions that the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes gave them in the land of Canaan. 2 Their inheritance was by lot as the Lord commanded through Moses for the nine and a half tribes, 3 because Moses had given the inheritance to the two and a half tribes beyond the Jordan. But he gave no inheritance among them to the Levites. 4 The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. No portion of the land was given to the Levites except cities to live in, along with pasturelands for their cattle and livestock. 5 So the Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses, and they divided the land.
Verse 1 introduces the subject of the following chapters-the allotment of Canaan among the tribes. The men responsible for parceling out each tribe’s portion were Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the family heads of each tribe.
Eleazar was Aaron’s third son and became high priest upon his father’s death (Num. 20:28). His involvement in the land distribution emphasized that this was a sacred activity based on God’s promises, not just a real estate transaction. Joshua, of course, led the nation in the conquest. His role in the distribution had long been determined (Deut. 3:28; Josh. 1:6). The family heads consisted of leaders from the
twelve tribes.
As the Lord directed Moses, the leaders cast a lot to decide how the land would be shared by the nine and a half tribes west of the Jordan River (Num. 26:52-56). God was in complete control, so casting lots left nothing to chance (Prov. 16:33). God ensured the outcome He wanted.
While we are not sure about the specifics of the process, a tribe’s name likely was taken from one vessel and matched to the description of a particular set of boundaries pulled from another container. The repeated refrain as the Lord commanded through Moses emphasizes the connection between obeying God and experiencing His blessings (Num. 16:40; Josh. 21:8). The Hebrew for through Moses occurs a number of times in the Old Testament and always refers to Moses as the human agent God used for
His purposes.
Moses already had given land to the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan: Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. Reuben and Gad in particular sought this land, which was ideal for their livestock. Moses’s blessing was contingent on these tribes crossing the Jordan and assisting the other tribes in conquering Canaan (Num. 32).
Verse 3 also calls attention to the fact that the Levites received no land inheritance. Instead that tribe acquired forty-eight cities distributed throughout the twelve tribes (Josh. 21:41-42). By scattering the Levites around the promised land, each tribe would have ready access to a teacher of God’s laws
(Deut. 33:8-10). The Levites’ special inheritance is elsewhere identified as the Lord Himself and service to Him (Deut. 10:8-9).
The writer helped readers understand how Israel came to have twelve tribes. Every tribe descended from one of the twelve sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. But two tribes were descendants of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh. Both of these tribes were given their own allotment of land in Canaan. With the Levites’ “landless” situation, allowing Joseph to account for two tribes kept the number of allotments fixed at twelve. The writer again noted that Levi received no portion of the land. Instead, God gave them cities and their pasturelands.
Verse 5 reiterates the emphasis of verse 2. It offers the summary statement that the Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses. The people and their leaders did things exactly as the Lord directed them. We daily face opportunities to obey or to disobey the Lord’s instructions. Like them, obedience to the Lord should characterize our words, actions, and attitudes each day.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
6 The descendants of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord promised Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the Lord’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report. 8 My brothers who went with me caused the people to lose heart, but I followed the Lord my God completely. 9 On that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land where you have set foot will be an inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have followed the Lord my
God completely.’”
Caleb son of Jephunneh was one of twelve spies Moses sent to scout Canaan in Numbers 13. Upon the spies’ return, only Caleb and Joshua expressed faith that Israel could conquer the land (Num. 13:30). The Lord rewarded Caleb by allowing him to enter the promised land.
When the time came, the descendants of Judah approached Joshua to receive their inheritance, and Caleb got the region of Hebron (Josh. 14:13). He conquered Hebron, even though he was eighty-five years old (15:13-14).
In his speech to Joshua, Caleb recognized Moses as the man of God, a designation carrying special honor and respect (see Deut. 33:1; Ezra 3:2). In the following verses Caleb reminded Joshua of the Lord’s promises given to them through Moses when they were faithful spies at Kadesh-barnea. The Israelites had camped at this site when Moses sent the spies into Canaan. That’s also where the Lord condemned the Israelites to forty years of wilderness wandering because of their lack of faith.
Only Joshua and Caleb were exempt (Num. 13-14). While they still had to wander for four decades, God promised to give them a place in the promised land.
Caleb was forty years old when he scouted the land. Now, he was receiving his inheritance forty-five years later. Caleb depicted the information he had shared at Kadesh-barnea as an honest report. In Hebrew, a more literal rendering is that he had brought back the word that was in his heart. He had shared his heartfelt belief that Israel could conquer the land (Num. 13:30).
In contrast to Joshua and Caleb, the report of the other spies caused the Israelites to lose heart. Few of the references to the heart in the Old Testament designate the physical organ. Instead, most of them relate to the totality of human beings’ inner or immaterial nature. From the Hebrew perspective, thought functions including wisdom and understanding are located in the heart. The heart represented the seat of the will, the place of decision making.
In Hebrew thought, the heart can convey both positive and negative emotions, including love, joy, grief, envy, and anger. To lose heart suggests melting. Rahab had told the Israelite spies that her people had lost heart when they heard about the wonderful things God had done for His people (Josh. 2:11).
Unlike the ten fearful spies, Caleb had followed the Lord completely. He had not melted. His faith in God had stood firm at the prospect of obstacles in Canaan and when confronting the negative attitudes of his fellow Israelites.
Caleb next recalled how Moses swore a lasting inheritance for you and your descendants. Moses too had depicted Caleb as a man who had followed the Lord completely. The term rendered completely also means “fully.” The expression appears three times in Joshua 14:1-15 to denote Caleb’s wholehearted allegiance to the Lord (vv. 8,9,14). Such threefold repetition often indicated completeness.
Throughout his life Caleb kept his focus on the Lord. He followed God with unwavering determination. Today, believers still can be assured that the Lord knows and rewards those who follow
Him wholeheartedly.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
10 “As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then. 12 Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.” 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as an inheritance. 14 Therefore, Hebron still belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance today because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, completely. 15 Hebron’s name used to be Kiriath-arba; Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. After this, the land had rest from war.
Caleb continued his testimony to the Lord’s faithfulness. Forty-five years had passed since he scouted Canaan, and he had reached the age of eighty-five. The Lord had faithfully kept His promise that the two faithful spies would enter the promised land. Moses had recorded this promise from God to Caleb in Numbers 14:24.
The time periods mentioned in verses 7 and 10 provide insight into the time period covered by most of the book of Joshua. Verse 7 alludes to when the Lord condemned the Israelites to forty years of wilderness wanderings for accepting a negative report given by ten of the spies (Num. 14:33-34). Meanwhile, verse 10 reveals that forty-five years had passed since that judgment. Therefore, the conquest to that point had occupied at least five years.
Caleb’s words revealed the eagerness and vigor of a younger man. He claimed to be as strong at eighty-five as he was when Moses had sent him to scout out Canaan. The descriptive term rendered strong typically reflects power. The word rendered strength later in the verse can designate both action
and endurance.
Caleb’s reference to battle reveals his positive attitude about the conquest. The Hebrew phrase translated for daily tasks literally means “for going out and for coming in.” While the expression certainly can mean the Lord provides strength for each day’s work, it also can have a military connotation. Because of his faith, Caleb felt equal to the challenges of conquering Canaan.
Caleb expressed confident faith in requesting this hill country. He wanted the very land that had caused the other ten spies to melt in fear, the land of the Anakim. This designation means “longnecked” or “strongnecked.” The Anakim were giants that many scholars associate with the Nephilim, another group of powerful people who lived before the flood (Gen. 6:4). In addition to being a race of giants, they lived in large fortified cities. Such cities were strategically important because they were almost invincible until the Assyrians developed better siege techniques centuries later. Caleb possessed confident faith in God and wanted the biggest challenge available.
After he blessed Caleb, Joshua gave him Hebron as an inheritance. The Hebrew verb translated blessed means “to grant power for success or to accomplish a purpose.” Blessing is transmitted from a greater party to a lesser party. The Old Testament recognizes God as the only true Source of blessing, so a blessing in His name was an affirmation of His strength and provision.
Hebron became an important city in Judah, situated about twenty miles south of Jerusalem. By the time Moses sent the spies into Canaan, the Anakim occupied Hebron.
Verse 14 offers the third reference to how Caleb followed the Lord . . . completely (see vv. 8,9). In the days of the writer, Caleb’s family remained in possession of Hebron just as the Lord promised. Hebron previously was known as Kiriath-arba. This ancient name was derived from Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.
The account ends with the summary statement that the land had rest from war. Like Caleb we can be assured of the Lord’s presence and aid when we follow Him wholeheartedly.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 63 of the Personal Study Guide:
Point out Pack Item 4 (Poster: Key Verse: Joshua 14:8) again and lead the group to read the verse together at least twice.
Guide the group to discuss the first question set on page 63 of the PSG. Direct attention back to the suggestions listed in the second column of the chart. Challenge them to identify one suggestion they can apply this week to help them follow God with all their heart.
Read the second question set on page 63 of the PSG. Encourage adults to identify silently one area where they are currently wrestling with a choice to obey or disobey God. Provide time for them to talk with God about those struggles. Close in prayer, thanking God for keeping His promises and asking Him for the strength to live in complete obedience.
During the week, send a text or email to the entire group. In the message, share a promise from God in Scripture and explain why this promise is meaningful to you. Share the verse and reference. Encourage the group to “reply all” and to share their favorite promise and what it means to them. Assure the group that you are praying for each of them as they seek to follow God with a whole heart.
To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. (See Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Luke 14:27.)
Use a cross reference to learn more about what the Bible says about a particular subject.
The word “inheritance” essentially refers to a “legal transmission of property following death.” However, the Hebrew terms translated “inheritance” did not necessarily presuppose a death; they could be used in other ways. Determine how many times “inheritance” or a similar term appears in Joshua 14:1-15. Then read and reflect on these verses to learn more about how it’s used in Scripture: Joshua 1:15; 13:33; Jeremiah 10:16; Matthew 19:29; 25:34; and Romans 8:17.